It was awesome to see so many family and friends come to support the mini kids on Thursday at their first grading for the year! Congratulations to all the grading applicants on your promotions! You can view some photos from the day here.

Today the TKD Kubz kids get their chance to grade during class at 3.30pm - if your child is a TKD Kubz kid but is not grading they should still come along as class is still on for them as usual.

We also had our Movie Night on Friday night which was well supported and a lot of fun.

Class TimetableDon't forget our regular timetable is on as usual this week - make sure you to come to class for some fun sessions in this last week of term, including learning and trying out some tournament skills as we head closer to our club tournament in two weeks' time.

Next week our reduced holiday timetable starts, so make sure you've got your class time diaried if there is a change for you - view the timetable here. There won't be any classes over Easter Weekend too.

Answering Your QuestionsThe top question we've had about our upcoming club tournament is how long it will be and whether it will be all day. We can't tell exactly when it will finished (as it will depend on numbers and how quickly we get through each event) but we expect it to be finished by around midday/1pm.

The other popular questions have been around whether you can enter if you've only just started training this year, and whether you have to enter all of the events. You can definitely enter if you're new to Taekwon-Do, and no, you don't have to enter all of the events if you don't want to.

Our entries are climbing with entrants from Ellerslie, Three Kings and Diocesan branches, so make sure you get yours in to! We'll be getting you ready for the event in class.

There will be events for every age division across all four competition events: patterns, sparring, power and specialty. This day is being arranged especially for YOU so that you can apply your Taekwon-Do skills in a different context and gain some experience and confidence with tournaments in a safe and supportive environment.

We would like to see everybody entering from all of our branches unless they have a very good reason not to, so go ahead and enter now if you haven't already!

Dear Members,Congratulations to all the participants who completed out Kickstarter Course last week! And thanks to everyone who turned out after training for coffee afterwards - we had a great time!

This Thursday is the Mini Kids Grading and we wish the grading candidates all the best. Because of the grading, there will be no 5.30pm class this Thursday - please come at 6.30pm instead. Remember, there are still classes as usual next week after the grading so come along for some fun training as we learn some tournament skills. There are also classes during the school holidays (see further below for the school holiday timetable).

TKD Kubz GradingToday is the last day for preschoolers who do our TKD Kubz program to get their forms back to the office for the Kubz grading next Monday. Please allow some time before or after the Kubz training today to get your forms in to the office.

So far we've had about 40 entries over the past week over all of our different classes for our Warrior Taekwon-Do Tournament Fun Day - we've got preschoolers, kids, teens, adults, people who have just started training and people who've been around a little longer - and we'd like EVERYONE to come along!!!

There will be events for every age division across all four competition events: patterns, sparring, power and specialty. This day is being arranged especially for YOU so that you can apply your Taekwon-Do skills in a different context and gain some experience and confidence with tournaments in a safe and supportive environment.

We would like to see everybody entering from all of our branches unless they have a very good reason not to, so go ahead and enter now if you haven't already!

Free On Friday Night? Want To Build A Snowman??It may only be autumn but we're letting it go and building snowmen on Friday night ... that's right, we've got a big screen, we've got a projector and we've got Frozen screening at the dojang for the whole family (followed by a later screen showing of 21 Jump St for the grown ups)! Come and experience the unique atmosphere of movie watching at the dojang - bring a beanbag or a blanket and a few friends along with you! There will be popcorn and balloon animals!

Just $10 pre-sale (pre-sale ticketholders also get some complementary popcorn) or $15 at the door, bring the whole family and help support our Warrior instructors who are fundraising to get to the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships in May. Doors open at 6.30pm andFrozen will start screening at 7.30pm.

April School Holidays TimetableDuring the school holidays we run a reduced timetable for better class numbers across all classes. Three Kings and Diocesan branch students don't have training in their regular locations during the holidays and are welcome to come to training at the Ellerslie branch during the holidays instead.

Warrior Taekwon-Do Fun Day Entry NOW OPEN!Sunday April 12, 8.30am registration, 9am startWarrior Training Zone, 198 Marua Rd, EllerslieWe'd like to invite the whole of Warrior Taekwon-Do from all of our three branches to come to our special, Warrior Taekwon-Do members only fun tournament! There will be events for every age division across all four competition events: patterns, sparring, power and specialty. This day is being arranged especially for YOU so that you can apply your Taekwon-Do skills in a different context and gain some experience and confidence with tournaments in a safe and supportive environment.

We would like to see everybody entering from all of our branches unless they have a very good reason not to. The entry fee is $20 (pay on the day) and you can register either in class, or online. There's quite a lot of information about this tournament so for full information about how it will run, how we will be preparing in class and about the events, please see ourWarrior TKD Tournament Fun Day page on our website, where you can also enter online.

Join Us For Coffee!If you attend ANY 6.30pm class, OR are a parent of a child who trains at Warrior Taekwon-Do (any branch), OR you've been coming to our Kickstarter Course, we'd like to invite you to join us for coffee after our last class on Thursday night! See you at Coffee Club on Lunn Ave after 8pm on Thursday.

Last Week To Get Mini Kids Grading Forms To The OfficeThe Mini Kids Grading is next week and the final date for grading forms and payment to be received by the office is THIS FRIDAY! So make sure you get your forms in this week. This is also the last week to show your grading homework to your instructor which is a prerequisite requirement for grading approval. Please take responsibility to bring your homework to your usual class time as our instructors have different schedules have very limited availability outside of your class times if you forget.

World Championships 2015 - Interview With Miss Roisin GilesWarrior Taekwon-Do instructor and member Miss Roisin Giles will be defending her 1st dan individual patterns title at the upcoming ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships. We asked her some questions to find out more about the event, how she was selected and is preparing, and what advice she has for students interested in competing at a higher level in the future.

What is the World Championships and when and where is it being held?The ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships is the most prestigious ITF Taekwon-Do competition in the world. It's held biannually, with the best athletes from each country around the world coming together to compete in various events such as sparring, patterns, specialty, power, pre-arranged sparring, and team events. The next World Championships is May 26th-31st this year, in Venice, Italy.

How do you get to be in the New Zealand World Championships team?To make the World Champs team you must first trial to get one of two spots per division. 'Trialing' involves attending multiple camps and training sessions across several months, before attending a final trial date where the selection committee chooses two athletes per division, from multiple talented candidates. I have been selected to represent New Zealand in individual 1st dan patterns, team patterns, and team breaking.

Warrior Taekwon-Do instructor and member Miss Roisin Giles will be defending her 1st dan individual patterns title at the upcoming ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships. We asked her some questions to find out more about the event, how she was selected and is preparing, and what advice she has for students interested in competing at a higher level in the future.What is the World Championships and when and where is it being held?The ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships is the most prestigious ITF Taekwon-Do competition in the world. It's held biannually, with the best athletes from each country around the world coming together to compete in various events such as sparring, patterns, specialty, power, pre-arranged sparring, and team events. The next World Championships is May 26th-31st this year, in Venice, Italy. How do you get to be in the New Zealand World Championships team?To make the World Champs team you must first trial to get one of two spots per division. 'Trialing' involves attending multiple training camps and training sessions across several months, before attending a final trial date where the selection committee chooses two athletes per division, from multiple talented candidates. I have been selected to represent New Zealand in individual 1st dan patterns, team patterns, and team power breaking.

You've been to a World Champs before - how does that change how you feel about this one?It's definitely useful to have previous World Champs experience. This time around I know more accurately what to expect, so I can better mentally prepare myself. However, every World Champs is different, and you need to be prepared for anything and everything. Having performed well at the last World Champs I definitely feel more pressure this time round, but I like to remind myself I'm going to a completely new competition, where nothing is certain and anything is possible. I'm excited for a new experience, and to achieve new, independent goals. While my experience definitely helps, I'm still just as nervous!How have you been preparing for the event?I train twice a week with the New Zealand team and twice a week with our club. On top of that I do my own individual training each day, to work specifically on my events and weaknesses. Last week I traveled down to Wellington to train with one of my old coaches, and I plan on heading back to see him in April to work on some specific areas. What are you most looking forward to?The atmosphere of World Champs is amazing. There is so much going on that it can be a little overwhelming, but also breathtaking and an unforgettable experience. I'm most looking forward not only to the feelings I'll get from my own achievements, but also to succeed with my team, and to see members in my NZ team who have been working so hard achieve their goals. It's honestly an amazing thing to have your emotions and joy magnified so much by your team around you, who you've trained with for so long and have shared in all your successes and struggles. What are you least looking forward to?The craziness of the venue, the long days, and of course the nerves are always tough, but they're definitely out weighed by the benefits. Most difficult is whenever something doesn't go someones way; it is always tough to see your teammates not succeed, so hopefully everyone wins gold! :) What advice would you give Taekwon-Do students interested in competing at a higher level?Just start wherever you are now - start entering the local tournaments, and work your way up to Regionals and Nationals. Look into the different competition events to see which ones you're most interested in, and talk to your coaches about specific training in those areas. Once you're training and competing, keep a diary of your progress, so you can track it long term. Most importantly, set goals for yourself, that you want to achieve in your training in 6 months, or at your next competition, or when you're a black belt, and create a plan to get there.

Anyone can compete at a high level as long as they have discipline and the drive to work hard and self improve. Start putting the good habits and hard work into practice now, and you're be unstoppable by the time you're a blue belt, then you can go to the World Cup!

[Ed. Note: The ITF World Cup is an open international event for blue belts and above held on alternate years to the World Championships. The ITF World Championships is for black belts only and there are limited spots on the team].What expenses are involved to get to the World Championships?As we're a non funded sport in New Zealand, each athlete pays their own way. To get to the competition in Italy involves paying for 8 training camps, training gear and uniforms, flights, accommodation, entry fees, and training fees, totaling around $7000.Tell us more about your upcoming fundraisers.I like running fundraisers where I get to do something with my friends, family and community, where everyone benefits and has a great time!

First up we have a movie night fundraiser hosted at Warrior Training Zone coming up on Friday the 27th of March, starting 6:30pm playing Frozen then 21 Jump Street. This is to fundraise for myself and Miss Jacky Geurts, who is also on the New Zealand team. There will be movies, beanbags, lollies, popcorn, face painting and laughter! Presale tickets are $10 each and include free popcorn. This open to anyone to come along to (you don't have to be a Warrior Taekwon-Do member or even involved in Taekwon-Do)! You can book your tickets here: http://moviefundraiser.weebly.com/I'm also organising a fun competition for all Warrior Taekwon-Do members, from peewees to adults, to gain experience in sparring, patterns, specialty, and power, in a fun and friendly environment. The competition is on Sunday 12th of April from 8:30am, and the entry fee is $20. Entry is either by filling out the online entry form or in class.

After Training Coffee - Thursday 19 MarchOn Thursday next week we're having a social time together at Coffee Club on Lunn Ave! We'd like to invite all who train at a 6.30pm class, adult members of Warrior Taekwon-Do, parents of kids who train at Warrior Taekwon-Do (any branch) and all Kickstarter Course participants to come and join us, so pop it in your diary!

Mini Kids HomeworkAll kids who wish to be considered for the upcoming Mini Kids Grading need to do their homework (the page in the Mini Kids Handbook for their next rank) and bring it in to class for signing off by their instructor. Please bring your homework in this week to your instructor.

Auckland North Regional TrainingFor those who are newer to Taekwon-Do, New Zealand is divided into 6 regions of International Taekwon-Do (Auckland North, Counties Manukau, Midlands, Central Districts, Wellington, South Island) and Warrior Taekwon-Do falls within the Auckland North region. The region has a committee and instructors, parents and members from all over the region help to contribute in all sorts of ways including helping to run and volunteer at events, setting up special seminars, workshops and other developmental activities and much more. If you would like to keep more directly up to date with what is happening and coming up in the region, there is a Facebook group which members and parents/guardians of members are welcome to join.One of the really awesome events that are available to practitioners all over the region is the Auckland North Regional Trainings. These have just started for 2015 and are on Sundays from 9:30am-11am at 198 Marua Rd and either $5 a session or $50 for all 12 sessions. These trainings are in the lead up to the Auckland North Regional Tournament and National Tournament and will help prepare you for tournaments (although you are very welcome to attend trainings with no obligations to compete). If you are interested in attending simply turn up with your gear (including mouthguard and sparring gear). There is no training on this weekend due to the Legacy Kids Round Robin Tournament, but regional trainings will commence again the following weekend.Movie Nights at the Dojang - Face Painting, Balloon Animals & More!We've got some great family movie nights at the dojang coming up, with the first one being on Friday 27 March. Have a night out and a night off with plenty to keep the whole family entertained - face painting, balloon animals and free popcorn with your presale tickets!

For more information and to buy presale tickets (cheaper than at the door) go here.Have a great training week!

Click on the links for more information and application/entry/enrolment details for these events and contact the organisers directly for more information.

Come & Do Your Own Practice in the Weekends - Weekend Open Access The venue is open to ITKD practitioners from all over Auckland/New Zealand on Saturdays and Sundays between 2-4pm (except for when exclusive use is booked) for self-directed practice, so come along on the weekend afternoons and make use of the mirrored walls, matted floors and large training space available. Your first visit is free, and after that it is either $5 casual or there are concession cards which make it cheaper for you.

Build Up for First Mini Kids Grading of 2015We're getting ready for the first Mini Kids grading for the year! This grading is for kids who are using the Mini Kids Handbook (but excludes kids who are grading for FIRST YELLOW or YELLOW BELT - these are national gradings conducted at Colour Belt gradings).

Instructors will be assessing your child's readiness to grade during class from this week up until the cut-off date for grading forms to be received by the office. One of the requirements for grading is for homework to be signed off by their instructor - so please make sure your child completes their homework page for their next rank and BRING IT TO CLASS to be signed off well in advance of the cut-off date.

Attitude and attendance are also factors taken into consideration alongside Taekwon-Do techniques and skills so make sure you let your instructor know if you have an exceptional reason for not being at class. If you have questions about your child's progress please direct to your child's instructor.

Mini Kids GradingWho For: Children on the Mini Kids syllabus (who use the A4 sized Mini Kids Handbook syllabus) grading for first green, first blue, first red, first black, double yellow or triple yellow stripe (ask your instructor if you are not sure if this is you)Mini Kids Grading Date: Thursday 26 March, 4pm at 198 Marua Rd, EllersliePre-Grading Assessments: From the start of MarchCut-off for forms and payment to be received: Friday 20 March

Colour Belts - Your First Grading is Coming Up Soon Too!Pre-grading starts for the colour belt grading at the beginning of April, so if you are a colour belt hoping to grade in the first colour belt grading round for 2015 you should be working hard to master the techniques and theory knowledge required for your grading and asking your instructors questions.

Colour Belt GradingWho For: Kids grading for yellow stripe, yellow belt or higher of any age (ask your instructor if you are not sure if this is you), AND teens/adults.Colour Belt Grading Date: Thursday 30 April, 6.30pm at 198 Marua RdPre-Grading Assessments: From the start of AprilCut-off for forms and payment to be received: Friday 24 April

Movie Nights at the Dojang - Face Painting, Balloon Animals & More!We've got some great family movie nights at the dojang coming up, with the first one being on Friday 27 March. Have a night out and a night off with plenty to keep the whole family entertained - face painting, balloon animals and free popcorn with your presale tickets!

For more information and to buy presale tickets (cheaper than at the door) go here.Have a great training week!